Chapter 6: Into the Royal Capital, Eyes That See Too Much

  The town of Velmira stirred beneath the golden breath of dawn. Market stalls groaned open with the creak of warped wood. Merchants shouted prices over crates of ripe fruit, while the scent of morning stew drifted through open shutters. Children darted through narrow alleys, trailing laughter and sticky fingers wrapped around half-eaten bread.

  But at the southern gates—quiet, just past the reach of smoke and song—a boy stood in silence.

  Aether adjusted the strap of his travel satchel. The polished wood of his staff tapped gently against his back, a familiar weight. His boots, more scuffed than sturdy, shifted in the dirt as he eyed the carriage before him. It was massive and rune-etched, humming faintly with stored mana. Two beast-horses—scaled along their necks, with too many teeth for comfort—pawed at the ground, tails flicking like coiled wires.

  Beside him stood Thorne, arms crossed. His usual unreadable expression did little to hide the weight in his eyes.

  “You sure you’ll be okay alone in the capital?” he asked, voice low and steady.

  Aether tilted his head. “It’s just magic and books, right? How hard could it be?”

  From behind, Eliah gave a theatrical sniff. “Says the boy who turned the kitchen floor into lava last week.”

  “That was an experiment,” Aether said indignantly. “For research.”

  She stepped forward, brushing off his collar with unnecessary fervor. “Eat properly. Sleep. Wash behind your ears. And please—please—don’t blow up anything important.”

  “No promises,” Aether replied with a grin.

  Thorne sighed, but a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Just don’t lose yourself out there, boy. The capital’s got teeth you don’t see coming.”

  A final round of hugs. An armful of dried meat and oat biscuits slipped into his satchel. And one last warning: “Don’t tame anything weird unless absolutely necessary.”

  Aether climbed into the carriage. The door shut behind him with a muffled click, and the rune-etched frame flared to life, humming as mana surged through its channels. He pressed his hand to the glass, watching Velmira fade into the morning haze—his parents small figures framed by swirling dust and sunlight.

  That Night, in Eidheria

  The realm shimmered with life.

  Aether sat cross-legged beneath the colossal Mana Tree, bathed in gentle, shifting light as the leaves glowed in response to the ambient magic. Around him, the air thrummed with potential. Behind the tree, the Shrine of Origins was nearly complete—crystal-threaded marble arches rose like frozen waves, pulsing with quiet power.

  He exhaled slowly. “Alright... let’s see the goods.”

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  [Daily Loot Box Received.]

  [Opening Tier 2 Loot Box…]

  Skill Acquired: Species Evolution Tree

  New Terrain: Lesser Spring of Purity

  Resource Points: +20 DP

  Blueprint Unlocked: Alchemy Den (L1)

  Item Received: Recipe Book — Basic Elixirs & Catalysts

  His eyes lit up.

  “Oh, now that’s what I’m talking about.”

  He extended his hand, and a pulse of intention carved a new clearing near the foothills—small, domed, and warmed by ambient elemental currents. Moisture gathered on soft moss as the terrain bent to his will. A gentle hum welcomed the newly placed eggs—nesting grounds designed for safety and growth while the ecosystem balanced itself.

  He unfurled the Species Evolution Tree interface—a blooming arcane diagram mapping out potential forms for creatures already inhabiting Eidheria. He grinned, fingers brushing over familiar outlines: Glowtreader, Stoneback Bour, and even Thistlemaw.

  The Glowtreader’s node pulsed gently, revealing an available evolution path:

  Evolve → Lumenblink

  “A nocturnal herbivore with refractive fur and empathic resonance. Gains minor illusion capabilities and camouflaging light bursts.”

  Aether tapped the icon.

  A moment later, in the nearby glade, one of the older Glowtreaders paused mid-hop. Its translucent skin rippled with light, then began to glow like crystal-infused silk. The mana around it twisted as its form became more streamlined—longer ears, brighter core, and glimmering fur that shimmered like starlight.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered. “You little trickster fox.”

  [Lumenblink Population: 15 Established]

  Not far away, a low rumble sounded from the earth as a Stoneback Bour—one of the elder males—snorted near a shallow pit of compacted soil. It had been lingering near elemental hotspots, basking in geothermal warmth and eating minerals that glowed faintly green.

  The air grew still.

  Then the creature’s rocky hide cracked open slightly, revealing glowing veins beneath—channeling ambient earth mana through its bones.

  New Subspecies Discovered: Gravelhide Bour

  “An evolution of the Stoneback Bour. Naturally armoured and bonded to leyline energy. Territorial, but trainable. Produces mana-enriched soil as a byproduct.”

  Back in the Real World – The Capital

  The royal capital was chaos in stone.

  White towers loomed above like spears aimed at the clouds, their surfaces veined with glowing ley-lines. Bridges floated in the air. Mana lanterns bobbed like fireflies above the heads of shouting vendors. Students hurried past in finely woven robes—some on mana gliders, others trailed by familiars with too many eyes or wings made of petals.

  Aether kept his mana signature tight, curled in like a cat. No need to draw attention.

  The Grand Astral Academy loomed ahead, carved directly into a floating plateau—its spiraling towers surrounded by floating runes and drifting glyphs. At its gates, a translucent barrier scanned entrants, reading their mana resonance like a fingerprint.

  He passed through with a momentary flicker. A hiccup. The crystal reader paused, pulsed once—too long—but let him through.

  Aether's eyes narrowed slightly. “Close.”

  Orientation was brisk but overwhelming. He received a palm-sized mana crystal ID, which pulsed with his unique signature, a dormitory key marked with a fox-shaped sigil, and a student manual too thick to be useful.

  He was nearly out the door when a voice—sharp and smooth as polished steel—cut across the marble hall.

  “You there. The boy with the sad little robe.”

  Aether turned, blinking.

  A girl his age stood with arms crossed. Blonde. Noble posture. Eyes like gold coins left too long in the sun—sharp and unblinking. Her robes were embroidered with silver filigree. A faint magical ripple surrounded her.

  “You’re not from the inner cities,” she said. “What’s your name?”

  “Aether,” he said evenly.

  “You don’t belong here, commoner.”

  He met her gaze with flat calm. “You’re projecting your insecurity.”

  Her mouth opened. Closed. Then opened again—offended but without a proper retort.

  “You—!”

  But Aether was already walking away, slipping between students before she could follow.

  Later That Night – Eidheria

  The mana winds whispered.

  From his perch near the Mana Tree, Aether gazed across his growing world. New creatures stirred beneath the canopy—luminescent birds wove through treetop nests, while soft-footed grazers padded across glowing grass.

  [Breeding Function Unlocked.]

  [Passive Domain Effect Gained: Natural Population Growth x1.5]

  The domain pulsed once, like a heartbeat.

  “Guess I’ll need names for all of you soon,” he muttered, watching a pair of Lumenblinks curl beside the Spring of Purity. Tiny Thornburrow kits popped out from the earth nearby, squeaking with delight as they chased glowing bugs through the roots of elder trees.

  Eidheria was alive now. Breathing. Growing without his constant touch.

  And still—he had only just begun.